


The Night Out

by Onmyliteraturebullshitagain



Series: And They Were Neighbors (oh my god they were neighbors) [13]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drag Queens, Drinking, Established Relationship, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Just stupid people having fun and hitting on each other, M rating for explicit language and humor, M/M, Midwest Bi Disaster Zukka, Sexual Humor, Teo/Ezra side relationship, a lot of Zuko being lovingly bullied by his more flamboyant friends, fade to black sexual content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:40:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29718024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onmyliteraturebullshitagain/pseuds/Onmyliteraturebullshitagain
Summary: Sokka and Zuko decide to celebrate their decision to move in together with a redo of the drag show night out Sokka and Teo tried to have (this time, without it ending at a hospital). What follows is a lot of drinking, drag queens, flirting to escape being hit on, and not-so-gently forcing Teo and Ezra to address their feelings.Midwest Bi Disaster Zukka established relationship - can probably be read as a stand alone
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: And They Were Neighbors (oh my god they were neighbors) [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1968508
Comments: 114
Kudos: 274





	The Night Out

**Author's Note:**

> Literally originally just called "Happy EMT Follow up," I figured the boys (and my lovely readers) deserved something fun and stupid and sweet after all the drama and pain of that last story. 
> 
> HUGE shoutout to hereforthefic_onlythefic for cheering me on and catching all my stupid typos and grammar errors. :) You're the best.
> 
> Also, check out this excellent art on tumblr by anxietyriddenzuko:[Harness Zuko at the Garden](https://anxietyriddenzuko.tumblr.com/post/644304307333775360/was-reading-the-night-out-by)

"Come on--just let me do a little!"

"Sokka, if you stab me in the fucking eye with that--"

"I know what I'm doing!"

"You  _ absolutely _ do not and I've already down one good eye so seriously--"

"Sokka, he doesn't have to--"

"I know he doesn't  _ have to _ , Teo, but come on, how often are we doing something like this?" Sokka turned puppy-dog eyes on his boyfriend.

Zuko did one of his long 'why do I love this man?' sighs in response and sat back in his chair. He was quickly joined by a cat, who reached up to stretch against his legs and yowl a little. Zuko scratched him absently behind the ears.

"What if Teo does it?" Sokka offered as his last plea. "Who knows how to do makeup better than someone who’s friends with a drag queen?"

“An  _ actual  _ drag queen, maybe?” Zuko asked petulantly. “No offense, Teo.”

“None taken,” he said with a grin, “but really, I've gotten good at eyeliner recently!”

“And he does have pretty eyes,” Ezra announced as he left the bathroom, emerging with his own perfectly coiffed hair and ridiculously flawless makeup, stepping around Boomerang, who hopped up from where he'd been laying by the couch and wagged at him. Ezra grinned down. “Also, I'm gonna steal this dog and get him a sequined bandana and make him part of my acts."

"Don't you dare," Sokka said as Ezra bent down to coo at the dog, to which Boomerang wagged harder. "Traitor," Sokka muttered at him.

Ezra straightened and looked Zuko over. "You know, a little eyeliner could go a long way toward enhancing this sorta…" he gestured vaguely at Zuko, "lazy goth aesthetic you've got going on."

"What?" Zuko said, looking down at himself. " _ Lazy goth aesthetic _ ?"

"His normal aesthetic's more 'lazy broke college student'," Sokka supplied unhelpfully, and Zuko scowled at him. "Oh yeah, I see the goth now! It's the bad attitude  _ along _ with the black."

Zuko looked down at himself again, and Sokka looked too, appreciating the black shirt seamed with red that hugged his torso and the slim black jeans on his long legs and edgy touch of the Doc Martens. It was a different vibe for Zuko--who was only trying at all because they were going to a drag show and everyone else insisted. But damn if it wasn't a good look. 

"Actually…" Ezra said, smirking as he circled around behind Teo to get the same view of Zuko he had, "throw a leather harness over that shirt and you'd have a  _ real _ vibe going…"

Sokka was not proud of the slight choking noise he made at that suggestion, and Ezra shot him a proud smirk.

"See? Boyfriend's into it," he said. 

"Boyfriend can be into it all he wants," Zuko said shortly, shooting a glare at Sokka, "but I'm not wearing bondage gear in public--where would I even find that right now? You think I'm just hiding this shit somewhere?"

"If so, you've  _ really  _ been holding out on me," Sokka said with a grin, and Zuko rolled his eyes.

Ezra dropped his chin on Teo’s shoulder. “Teo? Comments on bondage wear, on Zuko, or in general?”

Teo, of course, rapidly changed colors, which was clearly what Ezra was going for, since he chuckled and kissed him swiftly on the cheek.

‘Just friends’ my ass, Sokka thought as he watched them.

“Um--nope, no comment,” Teo said, “but, um, the eyeliner would probably look pretty good if you still want.”

"Fine,” Zuko said with a sort of sigh, "but not the left eye, ok?"

Teo nodded and leaned forward, and Zuko stiffened and proceeded to act like a cat being hauled toward a bathtub as Teo did a smooth line of black around his right eye.

"God, you're worse than the baby straights trying out drag for the first time," Ezra said, going for the makeup bag again. “But hey, what about a little concealer? I could soften out the scar a little bit if you want."

Zuko twitched in surprise and glanced at Sokka. Ezra looked at them in confusion.

“Oh, shit, um… am I not supposed to talk about it?” he said, actually looking embarrassed and apologetic for the first time Sokka could remember seeing. “I promise I didn’t mean anything rude…”

“No, I know. It’s fine,” Zuko said, voice a bit tight, and he looked at Sokka again with a kind of nervous question in his face.

"Hey, I like the scar just fine as part of your face," Sokka said immediately, putting up a hand, "so it's up to you if you wanna up your makeup game or not."

Ezra watched them again, makeup bag still open in his hand.

"Let's not," Zuko said, giving Sokka a small grateful sort of smile, which Sokka returned.

“Ooh, this though,” Ezra said, pulling out another little compact and a brush and handing them to Teo. “Just a little on those nice cheekbones?”

Zuko looked wary again.

“Only on the right,” Teo assured, nodding, and Zuko sighed longsufferingly and let it happen.

When Teo drew back, satisfied, the bit of makeup did intensify the shape and color of Zuko's eye in a way that was distractingly good, and the bit of highlighter did accent his cheekbone. It made for a striking contrast with the scarred side of his face, but it worked somehow. 

Damn, Sokka's boyfriend was hot. And he got to  _ live  _ with him now, which was frankly incredible.

That was the excuse being given for the night out with Teo and Ezra, a bit of celebration about this new stage in their relationship. But in many ways, it was because Sokka was still stir crazy and Zuko was still pent up, and they both deserved a break and a chance to not associate a night out with Sokka ending up in the hospital. And if it also gave Sokka the excuse to have a drag queen use her magic to make the remaining bruises on his face less noticeable and intensify his jawline, well… all the better. The crutches and the cast would be sort of annoying, but if Teo could make it work, Sokka figured he could follow his lead. And Zuko would be there, probably still being prowly and over protective and no further than two feet away from Sokka at any given time. So all the stars were aligning in, just, really weird but hopefully fun ways.

"Ok, can we go now?" Zuko said, still squinting a little at the makeup and at everyone staring at him. Not waiting for an answer, he got up to grab his jacket. "I need a damn drink."

"God, the queens are gonna  _ love  _ you," Ezra said with a knowing smile, "and you two as a  _ pair _ ?" 

He motioned between them, Zuko in his 'lazy goth' style and Sokka with his converse and cuffed jeans (and the cast unfortunately) and somewhat loud button up shirt. They glanced at each other.

"Chef's kiss," Ezra finished, with the accompanying gesture.

Teo threw out a thumb's up as well just as his phone dinged.

"Uber's here!" he announced, heading toward the door.

Zuko brought Sokka his crutches, already looking a little worried.

"Yeah, we're definitely gonna be the best looking and most mobility impaired group there," Sokka replied to his expression, and allowed Zuko to help him toward the door. 

He still managed to give him a quick kiss on the cheek as he passed--the left, at the edge of the scar, just to not mess up his makeup, obviously. And the brush of Zuko's fingertips against his lower back was just to offer assistance, of course, not for any other reason. 

"So if you  _ did _ happen to have a harness," Sokka muttered as they followed Teo and Ezra out, "would you wear it in  _ private _ ?"

"You're such a dork…" Zuko huffed, which Sokka definitely knew meant 'for you, probably,' so  _ that _ was a conversation to revisit on another day (and an image Sokka was gonna keep near and dear in his imagination).

***

Ezra had the connections to get them into the back entrance of the Garden, which would definitely be easier to maneuver even if the Uber had to drop them off in a slightly sketchy back alley. It at least avoided that front door and sidewalk that Sokka was ok not revisiting quite yet. Zuko, as anticipated, stayed at his side and slightly behind him as they entered, Ezra in the lead. Sokka could feel Zuko’s tension like a palpable energy, a bit like the 'might leap across a table to tackle his sister' vibe, which was a little unnerving. Clearly he was thinking about the last time too, and Sokka wasn’t sure how to move past those associations. But any nervousness he had was calmed by having Zuko there--even tense, growly Zuko. 

The back hallways were pretty dark and a bit narrow, but they walked them without too much trouble, Zuko always just a step behind Sokka. Ezra did get a few comments and shouts from some of the other queens in the dressing rooms off to the side, and the MC from last time, Aunt Wu, actually stopped them with a raised eyebrow.

"We meeting some sorta disability quota tonight?" she asked, looking them over, and then laughed. "Because damn, if that's what it takes to get boys this hot in here, I'll put a sign on the door!"

Ezra chuckled and nudged her, clearly trying to get past, but Wu refused to budge and examined them all with a critical eye, settling first on Teo.

“Sweetie, you’ve got such a lovely little shape for drag and those lips are  _ darling _ ! You ever think about performing?” she asked.

“Oh, um, well--not really,” Teo replied, hands still locked on his wheels, "with the chair and everything…”

“Oh sweetie, if  _ that’s  _ your only concern, I could get you on stage by the next show,” Aunt Wu dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Just talk to our girl June if you’re actually interested.”

Teo stammered something, and Ezra chuckled to himself, putting a hand on Teo's shoulder.

"Now you," she said, sizing up Sokka, "are a little muscular up top for a queen, but damn have you got a face that could make the boys  _ cry _ ."

"Well thank you," Sokka said brightly, more than willing to take a compliment where he could get it, especially about his face right now.

Wu tapped her chin. "A tight enough corset and we could definitely have something there," she muttered almost to herself, still scrutinizing Sokka. "You've got good legs for it."

Sokka let out a small bark of laughter.

"Yes, clearly," he said, swinging his casted right leg a little, "legs are my strong point right now."

Wu waved him off and looked past to Zuko, whose expression remained tense and dark. Aunt Wu looked him over, lips pursed, and he didn’t drop his tense almost-scowl. 

"Ooh, broody, aren't you?" Wu said, almost gleeful now. "June, where you been hiding this one? Tall, narrow waist, and those  _ cheekbones. _ Even the scar adds some mystery and danger that people would  _ love _ ." She clucked her tongue. “How tall are you?"

Zuko raised his eyebrow a little.

"6'1," he answered after a moment.

"Oh so you'd just  _ tower  _ in the right set of heels," Wu continued with increasing glee. "I could totally market this sorta 'you'd thank me as I stepped on your windpipe' vibe you’ve got going if you ever wanna give it a go."

"Don't encroach on my territory, Wu!" Ezra called from out front. "June's the only windpipe crusher in this joint!"

Wu put up her hands with another loud laugh and let them pass, and as they stepped in a more lit area, it was clear that Zuko's face had gone a bit red with embarrassment even under the scowl. 

"Harness or not," Sokka said to him, "please don't ever step on my windpipe."

Zuko's glare sharpened just a moment, but Sokka refused to drop his teasing expression until the glare receded a little.

"This is supposed to be  _ fun _ ," Sokka said, poking him in the shoulder. "You gotta take it down a notch, babe. You'll scare the queens. Or Teo, who doesn't know you as well as I do. Or both." He motioned around them. “See? No threats to be had.”

Zuko hadn't lost the tension in his shoulders, but he did at least nod and give a weak smile.

"Fine," he said. "Yeah, ok, I get it."

“And Wu thinks you’d make a pretty queen,” Sokka offered, “so if the whole ‘EMT thing’ doesn’t work out, you’ve got a backup career!” 

Zuko rolled his eyes, but he did relax a little more.

"Come on--let's grab seats and drinks," Sokka said. "What is it--three drinks before you start getting mellow and four when you start getting handsy?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Zuko replied with a tick of his eyebrow, and Sokka laughed.

Teo and Ezra had already found them a table toward the middle of the room, which was still relatively empty and thus not too terribly difficult to navigate in a wheelchair or on crutches. Once Zuko and Sokka found their own chairs, Ezra volunteered to get the first round and immediately disappeared. Sokka saw an opportunity when it presented itself and leaned forward on his elbows.

"So…" he said in a slow, sing-song drawl with a growing smile, "how's stuff with  _ Ezra _ ?"

"You don't waste any time, do you?" Zuko said, sitting back in his chair, and Sokka kicked at him under the table with his good leg.

Teo had turned a little red at Sokka's eager question, but he grinned shyly too.

"It's… good," he said. "Um, we're good friends still--"

" _ Friends, _ " Sokka said with air quotes, and Zuko snorted.

"We've gone on a couple dates," Teo continued, blushing and smiling more in equal measure. "And it's… good. Fine." He finally leaned forward and put his face in his hands. "Oh my god I like him so much," he finishes in a rush.

"There it is!" Sokka announced proudly. "Now you  _ tell him _ ."

Teo uncovered his face, and (offensively--was Sokka not enough?) looked over at Zuko with a question in his expression. 

"He seems like a good guy," Zuko replied to the unspoken question, "and seriously into you." He motioned to himself. "Trust a totally objective party. Just talk to him."

Teo colored again but didn't answer as Ezra returned with four glasses held carefully in his hands.

"Ok," he said, "spending half my life in bars, I've developed a sort of sixth sense for drink orders, so let's see if I got you right." He set the glasses down, passing the first to Teo. 

"Light, sweet, not too much booze taste," Ezra explained. "So amaretto sour for you." He then shot Teo a quick wink, which of course made him blush again.

He set the next glass in front of Sokka. 

"Something fruity and caffeinated," Ezra guessed, pointing at him, "so vodka, peach schnapps, red bull, cranberry juice." 

"That's Sokka," Zuko said dryly. "Fruity and energetic."

"First complaint I've heard from you about my energy levels," Sokka replied with a smirk.

Ezra chuckled and set the last drink down in front of Zuko.

"Your vibe I'm getting classic, not too sugary or artificial," he said, "thus, Old Fashioned." He spread his hands with a smile. "So, how'd I do?"

"Woah this is good," Teo announced as he took a sip.

"You might be a witch," Sokka added on as he drank his own. 

"Useful talent you've got there," Zuko concluded.

Ezra did an invisible hair flip and took his seat, leaning back with a proud smirk. He of course immediately adjusted the lean to be more toward Teo, who smiled at him and asked about the performers tonight and launched them into another of their 'everyone else is invisible' conversations. Sokka raised an eyebrow in Zuko's direction, which Zuko responded to with a slim smile, to which Sokka offered an eye roll and a few blinks and Zuko snorted unattractively into his drink. 

Teo and Ezra didn't notice a thing. 

"So that's probably all we'll be talking to  _ them _ for the night," Sokka murmured with a smile, and Zuko chuckled too.

"We weren't  _ that  _ bad, right?" he said, taking another sip.

"Oh I'm pretty sure we were worse," Sokka replied, still keeping his voice low. "At least these two aren't just giving each other long, pining looks from across the room."

Zuko propped his cheek on his hand, smirking. "Long pining looks, huh?" he said. "Yearning after me while I walked away and a slow pop ballad played in the background?"

"Oh shut up," Sokka grunted, crossing his arms, but his petulance just made Zuko laugh, which still just made everything worth it. 

Not long after, Aunt Wu was back on the stage and the music was getting loud. Once everyone had quieted a little more, she went through the standard greeting and rules, to raucous cheers and claps, which Sokka's little table joined in on. Then the first performer, "the Painted Lady," went on stage, covered in shimmering fabric and face and body paint, and the show began. 

Sokka's table had prepared with plenty of singles, and the presence of "June" certainly garnered them a lot of attention and made them popular when the queens headed into the audience. They got louder the more they went through their drinks (Sokka got the second and third round of cocktails, although Teo paid for one), and the group continued to clink their glasses and shout encouragement at the performers as they worked the crowd. Teo, with his swept back hair and his baby face, of course earned lots of cheek kisses and flirtatious waves, but Zuko and Sokka certainly got their share of attention. They did manage to avoid Koh and her scary extra faces and glitter canon this time, which was definitely a positive, but got extra attention after from a curvy queen wrapped in furs called Hei Bai. Zuko, the longer the night went on, got increasingly popular since he addressed everything with a very attractive smirk and cool detachment. Aunt Wu still MC-ed and made dirty jokes and called out people in the audience to tease.

Zuko included.

"And you, pretty boy in the middle--the dark-haired moody one by our girl June," Aunt Wu called, clearly speaking to Zuko. "Give us a wave!" 

Zuko sighed but did, which was met with whistles and cheers.

"So what do you do, handsome?" Aunt Wu asked, grinning out at him.

"I'm an EMT," he called, and a few people whooped.

"Ooh good to know," Aunt Wu replied with a mischievous smile, "because I think we've got some girls backstage who could use some mouth to mouth."

Wolf whistles and hollers followed, but Zuko groaned loudly and rolled his eyes.

" _ He's _ the only one allowed to make that joke to me anymore," he announced with a jerk of his thumb toward Sokka. "Everyone else who does goes on my hit list."

More laughs and shouts, and Wu turned her attention on Sokka now.

"And what makes you the exception then, honey?" she asked with a smirk.

"Well… sucking his dick on the regular oughta earn me  _ some _ special treatment," Sokka said loudly to surprised laughter and raised cheers. He shot Zuko a fond look, and Zuko's returned look was affectionately exasperated. "And, I mean, he loves me and lives with me and shit, so that probably helps too."

There was some 'awwing' and clapping then, and Sokka grinned.

"So how's a soft butch like you land a guy like that?" Aunt Wu asked to more yells.

"'Soft butch'?" Sokka echoed and looked over at Zuko. "That what I am? I never got an answer to this, but does the term 'butch' still apply when you're a bisexual?"

"Ahh," Wu said knowingly, " _ now _ I get the dramatic aesthetic. So a bisexual actually ended up with a gay man--what are the odds?"

There was some laughter at that, but Sokka actually felt a little annoyed. Really? Biphobia? Here, too?

"Um, so I'm  _ also _ bisexual," Zuko corrected loudly before Sokka could say anything, "so how's that change up the odds?"

"Like finding a goddamn unicorn," Sokka said with a smile, voice low enough only Zuko could hear it, and he smiled over at him.

"Ok so then I gotta know," Aunt Wu pressed, "two bisexuals," she pointed back and forth between them, "who's topping and who's bottoming in that situation? You're both so pretty, but  _ one _ of you has to be getting his face pushed into the pillow."

Zuka colored slightly but Sokka, thankfully, had a comeback handy.

"We're both bi," he replied. "You  _ really _ think we're gonna pick a side when there are multiple options?"

The audience laughed and whooped a bit louder, and Aunt Wu waved a hand at them.

"Ok, these two are actually  _ happy _ or something, so I can't talk to them anymore," she said. "Healthy relationships give me hives. Unless the guy's emotionally unavailable and sending me a dick pic at 2am, count me out."

The laughter crescendoed, and Wu moved on to another table for her banter. 

Teo's face was red as he leaned toward them.

"Damn, you guys handled that a lot better'n I would've," he said through the continued noise and applause.

"Yeah, Wu's a ball-buster," Ezra agreed, "but you guys can roll with the punches."

"As long as my balls aren't  _ actually _ getting busted like last time," Sokka replied, "I'm good." 

Zuko rested a hand on his leg, expression still a little overly affectionate. So was it three drinks that led to chill, happy Zuko? Sokka stored that away for future use.

After the next performer, Zuko volunteered to get another round and headed up toward the bar. A queen called "Joo Dee" performed something strange and sort of hypnotic, and Sokka finished his drink and watched Teo and Ezra get closer and closer together on the other side of the table. But part way through the next act, Sokka started feeling a bit like Zuko had been gone a long time. 

This shouldn't have been a big deal except that Sokka was a clinger and his brain was getting a little blurry and he'd been left alone with Teo and Ezra and their lack of awareness of the rest of the world. So he grabbed just one crutch and headed through the room toward the bar to see if Zuko'd stayed there for some reason.

Ah, there he was, leaning back against the bar, looking hot and tense and intimidating all at once. Something had changed from the comfortably intoxicated mellow Zuko, though, if the returned scowl was any indication. But still, damn, Sokka's also comfortably intoxicated brain was here for that hot, lazy goth, gorgeous man at the bar.

Clearly someone else was too, which Sokka only noticed as he got closer. Some muscly guy in a crop top was just slightly too close to Zuko's personal space and turned right in toward him. There were two untouched shot glasses between them, and the guy was smiling and talking and inching closer even while Zuko gave him literally no indication of interest. If anything, the scowl just deepened as his head turned aside. Then the stranger snuck a hand out to lay it on Zuko's arm, and Zuko jerked away and said something Sokka couldn't hear.

Sokka didn't think of himself as a jealous or possessive person. But also, that was  _ his _ boyfriend right there, and some asshole was making him uncomfortable. It wasn't like Zuko couldn't take care of himself (Sokka knew that), but it was the principle of the thing. Something like anger twisting around in his gut, he moved through the remaining people.

"--sexy thing like you here alone," the stranger was saying. 

"Like I said before," Zuko snapped, "I'm not here alone, so--"

"Oh come on, you don't have to pretend," the stranger said. "We can get outta here any time."

Ok, now that was definitely anger in Sokka's gut for sure, and he maneuvered around the last few people in his way. 

"Look," Zuko said with another glare, "I'm just trying to--"

Sokka stepped partially in between them, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Zuko visibly relax at his presence.

"Ope, just gonna sneak in here," Sokka said to the other guy, who was now very close to him. "So, this looks fun." 

The guy's expression went instantly annoyed.

"This is a private conversation," he said shortly, narrowing his eyes as he looked up at Sokka.

Sokka just shot him a smile that he knew didn't reach his eyes.

"It absolutely is not," Zuko grunted from behind him.

Sokka turned Zuko's way, smile more genuine as he ticked up an eyebrow.

"This guy bothering you?" he asked, jerking his head toward the clearly irritated interloper.

Zuko smirked back at him, expression going mischievous and sultry. 

"Well, he did buy us shots, so that's something," he said, taking the two shot glasses off the bar and passing one to Sokka.

"Actually, that was--" the stranger began, but Zuko clinked their glasses quickly together and threw his back, so Sokka followed suit.

It was something sugary and sort of disgusting that Zuko would obviously hate, but he was covering it well as he dumped the empty glass back on the bar and met Sokka's eyes again.

"So were you comin' to save me, baby?" he asked in a raspy sort of purr, which was  _ not _ a normal Zuko pet name or tone for a public place, but damn if Sokka wasn't up for playing along if this was Zuko's chosen angle.

He smiled. "Well, I gotta make sure you're not gonna up and leave me for someone new, don't I?" Sokka said, shifting a little closer to Zuko now, his own voice pitched low as he leaned his crutch against the bar and leaned his body toward Zuko.

"Uh…" the stranger said.

Zuko reached out to catch Sokka by the belt loops to pull them hip to hip in a way that, even if it was just for show, was getting Sokka a little bit hot and bothered. Logistically, it was also nice to not worry about his leg since he could lean his pelvis into Zuko, but that was a distant thought compared to the warmth and scent of his boyfriend now against him. Zuko only made it worse then by smiling and sliding a hand around his lower back and to his ass, tugging him in even closer.

"And give all this up?" Zuko purred, eyelids low and lips parted. "Not a chance, baby. Not a damn chance." 

He licked along his bottom lip in a way that was far too obviously inviting to ignore, a sort of dare in his eyes. Oh, Zuko did not wanna play flirtation chicken with someone like Sokka. He smirked and reached out to drag his thumb across Zuko's lower lip, noting the hint of amusement in the other man's eyes. His tongue then darted out to lick Sokka's thumb, and that was definitely unfair unless Zuko was actually looking to get kissed right up against a bar and in front of an audience.

"Come here," Zuko murmured.

Oh so he  _ did  _ wanna get kissed against a bar in front of an audience? No complaints from Sokka.

He seized the offered opportunity and leaned in. Normally, would he be kissing his boyfriend like this in public? No. Was he gonna do it now to chase off some weirdo and because he was a little drunk and he  _ could _ ? Absolutely yes. And Zuko tasted a little bit like that sugary drink still, and his body was pliant and firm where they slotted together, and Sokka couldn't resist sliding a hand around to the back of his head and into his hair. Zuko's tongue slid against his lips, and  _ damn _ , Sokka had ended up with the sexiest fucking boyfriend in the world. He caught Zuko's bottom lip between his own for just a moment before he drew back and checked from the corner of his eye.

Somehow, the stranger was still there, watching them with confusion.

So Sokka kept himself leaned into Zuko, their hands still all over each other, and stared the guy directly in the face.

"Can we help you?" he asked shortly, and oh damn, Zuko had decided to up the ante by pressing a kiss to his neck right then.

"Yeah, think I'm good with my fuckin'  _ boyfriend _ , like I told you, Tristan," he muttered, lips still basically on Sokka's throat although he must have been staring the guy down too. "Maybe try your luck somewhere else."

The guy--Tristan apparently--stammered something for just a moment before he  _ finally _ took the (not subtle at all) hint and pissed off. But Sokka didn't move right away from where he was fitting against Zuko and pressing him into the bar. 

"Fuck's sake, you're sexy," he murmured, and Zuko chuckled, the rumble of it rippling through Sokka's chest too. 

"You too--and good timing," Zuko offered. "I was about thirty seconds from yelling and punching that dude in the face if he didn’t leave me the fuck alone, so this was probably a smarter de-escalation tactic."

"De-escalation tactic," Sokka replied, grinning. "That the term we’re using for your hand still being on my ass in a public place?"

"You mad about it?" Zuko challenged with a little lift of his chin.

Sokka needed to remember how many drinks this was that got Zuko all sexy and uninhibited and intense. Also, probably, how many drinks this was for him too. He rolled his hips, just barely, against Zuko's and was rewarded with a hitch in his breath and a tighter pull of his hands. Sokka leaned forward, kissing his cheek and in front of his ear. 

"You're definitely the hottest guy in here," he murmured, face tucked against his ear so only he could hear even over the music and noise around them, "so I can't  _ totally  _ blame the guy for trying."

Zuko's exhale was soft, but he definitely rolled against Sokka's hips too, creating that tingling friction, his hands still on Sokka's back and ass.

"But also, we should probably stop now…" Sokka whispered.

Zuko nipped at his ear. "Five more minutes," he muttered, and Sokka laughed.

"It's not a snoozed alarm," he replied, still making no effort to unpeel or stop pushing Zuko's back into the bar in a way that couldn't be terribly comfortable. 

Zuko wasn't complaining, though, and everything was pleasant and loud and blurry, and Zuko's hands were still on him.

"Well why not?" Zuko said, and then his lips were working along Sokka's jawline, which was definitely cheating. 

"Since when am  _ I _ the voice of reason in this relationship?" Sokka replied, letting out a sort of sigh and a shudder. 

"Do you want me to stop?" Zuko said, drawing back, and his expression was still unrepentant but a little more reasonable at least.

"I mean  _ no _ ," Sokka replied, "but also yes?"

Zuko chuckled and slid a hand down Sokka's throat and to the top button on his shirt.

"What if we went somewhere else for a bit?" he asked, voice low, and Sokka lurched a little at that.

"Where--where'd you have in mind?" he asked, part of him wondering if he might be dreaming.

"Well…" Zuko said with a raised eyebrow, "pretty sure we came in through a back alley…"

Sokka chuckled a little and rubbed the hand that was still on the back of Zuko's head further into his hair. His responding blink was slow.

"You're saying…" he murmured, "you wanna go at it in a back alley like a nineteen-year-old drunk on wine coolers following a pretty girl in a plaid skirt because there was an offer of possible tits?"

"True story?" Zuko asked with a low laugh. 

"Nope, obviously not," Sokka said. "Just a completely made up example."

Zuko was still smiling, watching him with those sultry brown-gold eyes that still sorta made Sokka's brain short circuit.

"Well, I can't offer tits," he said, "but I'm definitely offering something I'd like to think is just as good." He licked his lips.

Yeah, fuck it. Sokka dipped to suck at the side of Zuko's neck, breathing in the smell of him and tasting the faint sweat on his skin. 

" _ So _ much better than random tits," Sokka agreed. " _ Anything _ you offered takes the cake over everything else now. You've absolutely ruined me."

"Oh yeah?" Zuko murmured, a little breathless, hands moving up Sokka's back. 

"Seriously," Sokka replied, smiling against his neck. "Would I rather kiss Zuko's neck or literally have a threesome with Chris Hemsworth and Lupita Nyong'o? I'm picking Zuko."

Zuko laughed at that and slipped his hands back down to skim just under the bottom of Sokka's shirt.

"Well that's just a terrible choice," he replied. "If, somehow, that offer  _ actually  _ comes up at some point, you  _ better _ fuckin' pick the threesome and then tell me about it after in excruciating detail."

Sokka laughed too and drew back to look at him.

"God I love you," he said.

"You too," Zuko said and pulled him back down to kiss him again. "Fuck I want you in my mouth."

Sokka groaned. "Jesus, you can't say shit like that to me…"

He felt Zuko smile as he kissed him, tongue slipping into his mouth again, his body taut and responsive against Sokka's. God, he tasted like fucking heaven, and his body was perfect, those hands sliding up his skin and everything else just absolutely disappearing--

There was a sharp knocking sound on the bar beside them, startling them both as they drew apart and looked around. 

"Alright boys," the bartender said loudly, "let's keep it PG in here--PG-13 max, but the way you two are going, we're gonna jump to NC-17 real quick, so break it up."

Sokka laughed and finally pulled back, and Zuko had turned red. 

"And your drinks have been done for a while," the bartender finished, gesturing to the glasses beside them that neither had noticed, "so that'll be $24.50."

Zuko chuckled and found his wallet while Sokka reached for his crutch again so he could actually step aside. Zuko paid and then added a pretty decent-sized tip, clearly by way of apology. Then he grabbed the drinks and turned back to Sokka, giving another suggestive sort of smile.

"I'm gonna drop these off," he said, "and then… I'll meet you out back?"

Sokka raised his eyebrows, but Zuko had already turned to head through the crowd again. Behind him, Sokka heard the bartender mutter something about horny gays and not being paid enough, and that was the sign for Sokka to throw a couple of his remaining singles on the bar and head toward the back entrance. 

It was cool and dark outside except for some neon still coming from the windows, throwing splashes of color against the ground and the wall of the next building. It smelled like spring still, damp and growing, but also the mingled smell of cologne and body odor and spilled drinks coming from inside. But Sokka just looked up, enjoying the slight swirl in his brain, the fact that there was still some Zuko scent clinging to his clothes, that there was still music thumping from inside and the world was ok. Because it was. Somehow. Yeah, he had a cast on his leg, but otherwise… damn his life was good now. 

He heard the door creak open just behind him and turned back.

And there was the main reason his life had improved so much, walking purposefully toward him, catching his face, kissing him into oblivion.

***

Sokka's skin was prickling with cold as he panted, head knocked back against the hard brick wall. 

"Zuko, you are truly," he murmured, "the most incredible boyfriend that ever lived. I think you've killed me."

Zuko finished rebuttoning Sokka's shirt and smiled.

"You're just drunk and orgasm stupid right now," Zuko said fondly, although he rested an arm beside Sokka's head on the wall, leaning into him, and kissed him a little longer. Sokka looped his arms around his back.

"So you don't wanna go see if Crop Top Guy's still available?" Sokka murmured, chuckling. 

Zuko moved back and kissed the tip of his nose. 

"Not a fucking chance," he replied. "I'm only yours, sweetheart. You're everything I want."

Sokka sighed and hugged him closer.

"So you're just a sexy, sappy drunk, huh?" he said, stroking a hand through Zuko's hair. 

"Apparently," Zuko replied with a grin. "You do something to me."

"God, you too, darling," Sokka replied, just wanting to touch him all over, wanting to never let him go, never untangle from against the wall. "The way I feel about you--that I get to live with you now--that you're mine…"

Zuko caught his jaw and kissed him again. 

"We should probably go in sometime soon, though," he said. "Before Teo and Ezra actually notice we're missing."

Sokka chuckled. "They wouldn't notice if the damn roof caved in. I think we're good."

"Still," Zuko said, kissing his cheek and smirking, "I need some water now." He gestured to himself. "Soothe my throat a little."

Sokka gave a last shiver at that reminder. "Yeah, you deserve it after that. Let's get you some water. And another drink. And, like, a gold medal in oral."

Zuko laughed and stepped back to move him away from the wall.

"I'm pretty sure that doesn't exist," he said. 

"Well, it should," Sokka argued as they headed toward the door, "just so you can win it."

The show was done by the time they got back to the table. Sokka couldn't bring himself to care, though, not with Zuko's arm still looped around his waist to act in some ways as his other crutch. The room where the show had been had emptied some as more people headed toward the dance floor now, so it was easy to spot Teo and Ezra still where they'd left them. Sokka and Zuko's drinks were even still sitting there, untouched, ice melting.

Teo and Ezra both looked up at them as they got close and slid back into their chairs. 

"We thought you guys left!" Teo said. "Where've you been all this time?"

"Uh…" Sokka started, grabbing his drink and taking a few quick swallows as he glanced at Zuko.

"We were just…" Zuko ventured and trailed off.

Ezra shook his head. "All that time on your makeup and you mess it up going at it in the back alley."

Both Sokka and Zuko visibly and guiltily twitched at that, and Ezra grinned. Teo's eyes went wide before he looked away, coughing a little, and Ezra just laughed and touched his hand on the table. 

"Everyone's consenting," he said, and then shot Sokka and Zuko a sharp look. "Right?"

"Obviously!" Sokka said quickly as Zuko cleared his throat, and he then added quickly, "Um… how exactly did you..."

Ezra smirked in a way that was deeply reminiscent of his drag persona. 

"Your shirt's buttoned wrong," he said with a gesture to Sokka, "and you've both got sex hair, and," Ezra motioned toward Zuko's neck, "Zuko's got a hickey that's not quite covered by his shirt.”

Sokka and Zuko exchanged a guilty glance, and huh, yep, that was definitely a hickey sneaking out over his collar. When had he done that? Zuko quickly pulled on his collar, flushing red again, and Sokka carefully began redoing the buttons on his shirt.

"So yeah," he said quickly, "how are you two then? Let's focus on that maybe."

Ezra, quickly joined by Teo, laughed at them as they worked to put themselves to rights again. 

"Like three times a week that happens," Ezra said with a grin and wink at Teo. "You start to recognize the signs."

"You really are a witch," Sokka muttered, finishing the last button on his shirt.

Teo was still a little red in the face, but he shot Ezra a nervous smile.

"So, are you… doing stuff in the alley then?" he asked.

"Nah," Ezra replied, drifting his eyes over Teo again. "Not for me. I've got… someone I'm into, so I'm sorta holding out for that."

"Oh," Teo said softly, and something small and sad flickered across his face before he covered it with a smile. "Well that's… nice for you then."

Zuko and Sokka exchanged a glance, and Sokka was pretty sure they were thinking the same thing.

"Yeah…" Ezra replied. "So… what about you?" He gave a June-like smile. "Anyone you'd wanna fool around in an alley with?"

Teo looked away. "Maybe, but… I don't know if he feels the same way."

Ezra wet his lips. "Huh," he said slowly, eyes darting away and back. "Well, I'm sorry you're dealing with that."

Sokka sent a pointed look Zuko's way, and he mimicked the expression. 

"Oh it's… fine," Teo said, still with that slightly forced smile. "You think your… person's interested?"

"I hope so," Ezra replied, "but, it's sorta hard to know sometimes…"

"Oh my god!" Sokka finally said, startling them both into staring at him. "I can't watch this anymore! Teo--buddy, pal, you adorable moron," he leaned forward and pointed with his joined hands, "Ezra's talking about  _ you _ ."

Teo's mouth opened and shut, and his face changed colors again.

"Oh, and Teo's absolutely talking about you, Ezra," Zuko put in, looking similarly annoyed, "Now  _ please _ , for the love of god, go make out somewhere and talk about your fucking feelings."

"Seriously," Sokka said, nodding at Teo, "you can help your dad invent new shit basically daily and you," he gestured to Ezra, "have proven yourself to be a witch, so  _ how _ are you both so  _ stupid _ ?"

Teo and Ezra looked, frankly, shell-shocked, which was fair but also annoying. 

"This comes from a place of idiot recognition," Zuko offered almost kindly.

"Yeah, this is clown to clown communication," Sokka added on with a gesture across the table. "One pair of oblivious dummies to another."

"So just kiss already," Zuko finished almost shortly, and took a long drink. 

Teo and Ezra continued to gape at them for a moment, and then at each other.

"Um, well, I…" Teo stammered.

"Yeah, I… I mean," Ezra replied with equal eloquence.

"I think we broke their brains," Sokka said as a rather loud aside to Zuko. 

"Looks like it," Zuko replied. "Should we give 'em a minute?"

"Probably," Sokka answered as the Teo and Ezra non-conversation continued. "But where to?"

"Dance floor?"

"I've got  _ one leg _ ."

"Well, not sure I have the stamina for the back alley again."

Sokka grunted a laugh. "Ok another table?"

"Yeah maybe." Zuko stood up again. Sokka followed suit, and Teo and Ezra stopped to look at them for a moment.

"You kids have fun!" Sokka said brightly. "If you need your bi uncles, just yell."

Teo and Ezra gave no response to that, both still blushy and flustered, and Zuko looped a hand around Sokka's waist again. 

"Damn kids," Zuko muttered, sounding like a grandpa waving a cane at his neighbors, and Sokka couldn't hold in his laugh. 

"They'll figure it out," he said fondly, pulling Zuko a little closer so he could kiss his cheek.

Zuko raised an eyebrow, still smiling a little. "What was that for?"

"For tonight," Sokka said. "For the night you were my doctor. For all of it. I don't know. Do I need a reason to be off my ass in love with you?"

And to that, Zuko just chuckled and turned a little pink as they continued navigating the room looking for an open spot to wait out Teo and Ezra.

"Wait, you said dance floor," Sokka realized as they walked. "Can you  _ dance _ ?"

Zuko chuckled beside him. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Ok so I'm learning a lot about both of us tonight," Sokka said. "Specifically, I now feel  _ very  _ strongly about some version of you in a harness giving me a lapdance."

And Zuko just laughed again, like Sokka wasn't already concocting a plan to make this happen. Of course, said plan would have to wait for now, and through Ezra and Teo finding them again quite a bit later (all giggly and stupid and holding hands), and through the ride home, and through shoving their way through the front door of their apartment.

Their apartment. The one they lived in together, with their excited dog and somewhat ambivalent cats, where Zuko's presence could already be felt in the extra dishes in the sink, the sweatshirt over the back of a chair, the extra keys on the hook by Boomerang's leash, the healthier foods in the fridge. But more than that, it was clear in gestures of Zuko's love for him already starting to appear: the bed Zuko always made now that smelled like his detergent, the post-it reminders in Zuko's handwriting ("remember to email your boss," "zoom with your family 8pm," "drink water you stupid houseplant"), the coffee machine set for when Sokka got up and Zuko had already left for work, the extra blanket on the couch. It was their mismatched furniture and their carpet scattered with pet toys and their disregard for convention and their ridiculous work schedules. _Their_ life, overlapping and shared, Sokka thought as he looped his arms around Zuko's middle and held on.

**Author's Note:**

> Whoever my fellow Midwest friend in the comments is (I'm sorry I'm horrible at names) did you see that I got the "ope" in there?? :) I was pretty happy with that one.
> 
> Probably no one but me is concerned, but in my mind in this verse Zuko is 6'1 and Sokka is 5'11-ish (although he probably lies and says he's six feet tall because I feel like he's that sort of person). Which yes, is pretty tall for both of them, but for the Midwest? Not extraordinarily so.
> 
> Anyway, thanks again all for reading, and I hope you had as much fun reading it as a I did writing it :)


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